A “splice” is a knot that uses a new length of wire to connect a broken string to the tuning pin. Most technicians learn a type of square knot for a string splice, which is what this article will be demonstrating. This method is commonly used in situations when 1) a string breaks and there is no time for a full replacement, 2) a very old bass string breaks and a new bass string is not an ideal replacement because of tonal differences, or 3) the piano’s age or condition is a limiting factor in a successful string replacement. Splicing is a particularly critical skill for concert and university technicians. For others, it is a less-common repair, but valuable nonetheless.
String Splicing
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